Pheolvrom2
by Pheolvrom Team
Summary: Pheolvrom has enjoyed the some what peaceful months since the death of Apocalypse but now there is a new threat in town.With Eric and Luke gone, will the remaining team be able to handle things on their own or will something pull them all together again?
1. Saving Luke

_**CHAPTER ONE**_

The sun had almost set and its colors were nearly finished dancing across the sky as Roxie stood on her balcony, her hair, now twice the length it used to be, blew in the wind as she simply stood there and relaxed and allowed her mind to drift off and recall things that had happened. Time had passed since the events that took the lives of Wolverine, Marrow, Ava, Orchard and yet others. Not a day goes by where the new leader of the Morlocks and Pheolvrom doesn't think about the events that changed her, and everyone else's, life forever. She longs for the days to be as simple as they once were.

For her father, orchard, Ava and yes, even stubborn Marrow, but most of all she longs for Eric. Her love who says he can't be who she wants him to be right now and he doesn't know if he can ever be it. What hurts the most is that Eric is out there somewhere, living his life the way he wants it to and Roxie can't seem to get closer for it. With the others, she has found closer because they are gone and will never return but for others it's more difficult. One man in particular. Roxie had not seen Luke since Orchard's death and figured she never would unless she set out herself to find the man who was more like her brother than anyone.

She cared too much for him to let him slip off into the abyss that Roxie, and Orchard, knew all too well. Roxie's thoughts ended with the realization that she had to find Luke before something happened to him. She had to find him and make him understand that there was nothing else that could have been done. That Orchard's death was the only way to stop Apocalypse and that if Orchard had been the slightest bit concerned with the plan, Roxie never would have made her go through with it. Roxie also knew that this would be a mission that she would have to do on her own and no one would be able to help her should she get into trouble and it was a mission she was willing to accept.

So, Roxie left the balcony to her room, calling the new x-men and the head morlocks, as well as phoenix, to the briefing room where she would tell them exactly what she was planning to do. Phoenix, Di and Ty were the first to arrive followed by Paris and Tyron, who were the last to arrive.

Once everyone was seated, Ty piped up and asked, "Rox, what's all this about?"

"In the wake of the events that happened that caused us to lose so many of our bretheren, I've been thinking a lot." Roxie said still standing on her feet. She hated sitting down when she was leading a meeting but she never understood why. "Luke was a very valuable member of Pheolvrom during the time that he spent with us and it is a shame that he has decided to bring that to an end."

"But?" Di asked knowing that Roxie wouldn't be leading up to something if there wasn't a 'but' involved.

"But, I have loose ends left with Luke and those ends are not ones that I am willing to remain as they are now. I've been trying to track him but haven't found any luck and I believe it's because he is able to block me somehow."

"Was he able to block your power before?" Tyron asked curiously.

"I'm not sure but I do know he is resistant to telepathic attacks so he could have figured out how to make his mind think that my telepathic signature is an attack when in reality it isn't that at all."

"So what does this mean?" Paris and Phoenix asked at the same time.

"It means that I'm going to actually go and look for him and I may be gone for awhile."

"Don't you mean 'we' might be gone for awhile?" Tyron asked. Since Luke and Eric left, Tyron had become Roxie's right hand man and had taken it upon himself to protect the leader of the small mutant community.

"Not this time Tyron." Roxie said simply, "This is something I must do alone."

"When are you leaving?" Phoenix asked the question that everyone was wondering. That and 'when would she be back?' but no one, not even Roxie herself, knew the answer to that question.

"As soon as this meeting is over. Now, I will not be leaving you without a way to get a hold of me. I have a com-link as do each of you. Should something happen, contact me with those. Should something happen where you are unable to use the links, Phoenix will telepathically contact me as soon as possible? Understood?"

"Yes." Phoenix said answering for everyone.

"Good." Roxie replied, "Then you're dismissed."

Everyone, save Tyron, left the room and when Roxie saw that Tyron was not going to leave any time soon, she looked at him and asked, "What's on your mind?"

The buff black, bald man, stood to his feet, crossed his arms and said, "I don't think you should be running off on your own like this."

"And why not?" Roxie asked even though she thought she all ready knew the answer but she was not about to probe Tyron's mind to find the out if she was right or not. If she was right, he would tell her in his timing not hers but was his and her timing going to be the same? Probably not.

"Because, Rox," Tyron said, "You could get hurt, killed or worse and I don't wanna see that happen to you." Tyron said as he moved closer to Rox and stroked her cheek with his rough hand but Roxie couldn't do anything but turn away. No, her and his timing was not going to be the same and she would have to make him see that but only after she found Luke and at least tried to talk to him.

"Tyron," Roxie said walking to the door, "I do appreciate your concern for my safety but I can handle myself. I am going to go find Luke and while I am gone, I am leaving you in charge. Notify me if anything happens. Get it?"

"Got it." Tyron said. He didn't understand why she had moved away like she had. Had he made the wrong impression? Had he simply moved too fast? Whatever the answer it would have to wait till Roxie returned.

"Good." Roxie said as she headed to her room to change and then from there she would go visit an old friend before setting out to gallivant around the globe.

* * *

Ry had just finished fixing up an old f-15 that she had modified to do anything that anyone needed it to do really, when she heard the door open. She was still underneath the metal bird, so she could not see who came in so she said, "If ya come back later, I'll be able ta help ya."

"You can't stop for an old friend?" Came a familiar voice. One that she had heard recently but also had a bone to pick with.

"You come back here after you didn't return my baby?" Ry said as she flung herself from under the F-15 and landed in her chair and looked at her friend with a smile.

"About that," Rox said.

"You lost her didn't you?" Ry asked not surprised in the least bit.

"Not technically."

"Then where is she?"

"Not sure exactly."

"Rox, how can you say you not lost her but you don't know where she is?"

"You know I told you that I lost several people in the events that happened two months ago."

"Yeah and I'm very sorry to hear that but what does this have to do with my ship?"

"One of those who died was very close with Luke."

"The metal one that came in with you?"

"Yeah, him. Well he got pissed and left, taking your ship. I'm trying to find him but not sure where to look first."

"So you want to use the ship to track him?" Ry asked rolling herself over to her computers and beginning to type away as fast as she could and before Rox could say anything, Ry had all read found Luke.

"He's in Antarctica." Ry said and then asked, "Why would he be there? I mean there's nothing there at all unless he's looking for something."

Roxie simply shook her head for the reason for Luke's presence in the arctic was the opposite of Ry's conclusion. "He's running from every living thing. Trying to hide from himself." Roxie ran a hand through her long brown hair, that she had recently added red highlights to, and took a deep breath and then cursed silently. She had sworn to Orchird that she would not allow Luke to slip into the void. The void that she and Orchird knew all to well and a place they would never wish upon anyone. Not even their worst enemies and yet, Luke was in it. The first part of putting yourself in the void was to separate from everyone. It's more of an extreme depression for mutants who don't lose control like Roxie or Orchird but none the less it was a terrible fate that Roxie would not allow her friend to take part in. If it was the last thing she ever did, she would make Luke understand that what happened could not have been avoided.

Rox turned to Ry and before she ever said a word, Ry smiled and said, "Can't you just fly there?"

"It would attract too much attention. Besides, you still owe me."

"For what?" Ry asked, "The last time I checked it was you who owed me and that's not counting the ship that Luke took."

Roxie smiled and said, "I'll bring it back in one piece, Ry. You know I am a woman of my word."

"Yea, yea." Ry said and then added, "The one that I just fixed up is an earth atmosphere jet only. So if he takes off into space, you'll have to go after him without the jet and if you have to do that, please bring this one back before you go after him."

Roxie laughed slightly and smiled saying, "Fair enough. I've all ready cost you one ship. I won't let it happen again. Thank you Ry." Roxie said as she gave her friend a hug and then got into the ship and just after Ry opened the hanger door, Roxie took off in hopes of finding Luke and knocking some sense into him.


	2. Name's Assassin!

**CHAPTER TWO**

An hour later, Rox found herself landing the small aircraft, in practically the middle of nowhere but thankfully the sky was clear and there was no sight of snow what so ever. So after she landed the craft, she flew through the cold air and when she finally stumbled upon Luke, She found him in a dark, cold, cave within the wall of a land glacier.

He had nothing to keep him warm but in his metal form, which he was, Luke never felt heat nor cold and neither could Rox at that moment for she had placed a formfitting telekinetic "bubble" to protect bare skin against the cold. At this moment in time, Luke's back was turned to the mouth of the cave and to Rox, so that she could not see the pain on his face but Rox didn't need to see his face to know the pain he was feeling.

"What the bloody hell are you doing here?" Luke asked without turning around. His voice was as cold as the air around them only to be exceeded by his body language.

"Luke I….." Roxie began was quickly interrupted.

"Luke is dead." He yelled standing to his feet and turning around to glare at Roxie. She had once been his friend but now he was seeing her in the same light as his worst enemy. After what she had done, how could he see her any other way?

"How the hell can you be dead when I am standing right here looking at you Luke?"

**"THE NAME IS ASSASSIN** **!!!!"** He screamed at the top of his lungs. Roxie simply stood in silence for she did not know what to say after he yelled at her that way. After a moment of silence, Luke lowered his voice and asked his question again.

"What the bloody hell are you doing here, Leader of Pheolvrom?"

This was going to take a while, Roxie knew. When anyone called her "leader of Pheolvrom", they were trying to do one of two things. One, get into her head for political reasons or two: mocking her right before they tried to kill her. Luke, Rox knew, was mocking her leadership but would he try to kill her over what had happened? She knew how he felt for it was the same way she had felt when she thought Eric was dead. When she thought Eric had been killed by Luke's hand. Rox would have done anything to get Eric back and as she thought about it now, she would have killed if it meant Eric would come back. Who was to say Luke would not do the same thing, just in a different way?

"I'm here because I am looking for you Lu….Assassin." Roxie finally replied when she found the words.

"Why?" Assassin asked, "So I can rejoin the team be a part of the new era of mutants?"

"Yes, actually."

"Well, you can just forget about it!" Assassin growled evenly, "I ain't followin' you anywhere after what you did to Orchird."

"What I did?"

"Don't act so surprised, Rox." Assassin said scoffing at his one-time friend. "I know you knew what was going to happen to her and yet you still left it happen."

"There was no other way."

"Don't give me that bull!!  
"It's not a load of bull!" Roxie yelled, "And deep down you know it!"

**"NO!!!"** Assassin yelled, "You said you saw the future! You could have thought of another way that spared Orchird!!"

"Don't you think I tried?" Roxie asked softly, "Orchird was my best friend. I didn't want what happened to happen but I will admit to you that I did see the future to the point to where Apocalypse died. I saw Orchard's death but….."

"Why didn't you tell us what you saw?!? " Luke asked interrupting Rox.

"How do you think you and the others would have reacted if I told everyone what was to happen?"

"We would have tried to do something to stop it! I wouldn't have let Orchird come!"

"And see that's why I didn't tell you, Luke." Roxie stated, "If you had done that……"

"We wouldn't be having this conversation right now."

"Because we would all be dead! The whole world enslaved by Apocalypse and Pheolvrom and the morlocks all dead and gone. I couldn't let that happen. But believe me Luke when I say that I tried every scenario that I could think of but they all ended the same. With either all of us died and Apocalypse enslaved the world or a few of us live but get captured and Apocalypse still ruled the earth!!!"

"Tell me this," Assassin said, "When a few lived, did Orchird?"

Roxie closed her eyes as she realized that in all those scenarios, Orchird had lived but everyone else died. "You don't wanna know, Luke."

**"TELL ME!!!! DID ORCHIRD LIVE?!?!?!?!?!?"**

"Yes." Roxie finally said, "In every scenario where a few lived Orchird was always among those who lived. Luke, trust me, I know where you are going with this and I'm telling you, it would n ever have worked."

"Why not? Because you have no faith in the team?"

"No because Apocalypse would have taken your powers and then have you killed!!!"

"You still don't get it do you?"

"Get what?"

"The whole reason you let Orchird die."

"Luke I didn't….."

**"ASSASSIAN!!!!"** Luke screamed, **"YOU LET ORCHIRD DIE SO THAT YOU COULD LIVE!!!! THE ONLY OTHER WAY TO KILL APOCOLYPSE WOULD HAVE BEEN FOR YOU TO LOOSE COMPLETE CONTROL AND DIE BECAUSE OF IT!!!!! YOU GOT SCARED!!!!! YOU ARE ONE COLD-HEARTED SELFISH BITCH!!"**

Rox was stunned at the language Like had just used towards her. He had never treated her so harshly before. He had changed and was not going to listen to anyone yet alone Roxie, who he blamed for his love's death. Anger came quickly once everything had sunk in. She telekinetically threw Luke against the ceiling of the cave, brought him down quickly and then slammed him against the wall of the cave and began to choke him telekinetically as she spoke with a growl that she could only have gotten from her father.

**"I ain't the one who's being a cold-hearted son of a bitch, bub!!!! I came down here to keep a promise to Orchird, your love and my best friend!!!! She knew there was no other way. She accepted that but she knew what it would do to you. She made me promise not to let you slip into the void but I see I am too late. So I will leave you down here for you to dwell in your own pitiful anger and cold heartedness. I wash my hands of you. Goodbye Assassin!!!"** Roxie said as she left the cave, got in the ship and once she took off, Luke fell to his face gasping for air in the snow, left alone to his thoughts

**ELSEWHERE:**

The door slowly opened and the darkness in the room ran for its life when the light was turned on. A soft whistling tune filled the somewhat empty storage room as the doctor walked in. He was glad to be rid of that jail and that guard. Oh, if only that guard actually had known how much Dr. Drollwreh actually hated him before he had died. Oh well, that was a worry for another day. Right now he had to take care of what the Leader of Pheolvrom would not. True her mind had been preoccupied with the boy she had had in her arms but she had just shot his idea down and not even considered that controlling everyone on the planet was the answer to end this war.

"Well, she and her team will soon find out that my ideas are always the best ideas." Dr. Drollwreh said walking across the storage room to the back wall where there was a random painting. He removed the painting and pushed the red button and then replaced the picture, only to have the wall open up as a door, a second later. Walking into the room, the doctor saw that his life's work was still intact. He knew the feds would be fooled by the storage room and that's why he had placed his college's life's work in the storage room to protect the only thing he really cared about: His work.

His life's work was a tiny piece of grey technology in a clear box that was not yet complete. He had one more think that needed to be done, before he could truly say it was complete. He approached the box and looked at his work. It was no bigger than a half dollar and some would have wondered how this small piece of technology could do anything other than take up a small amount of space but science almost always was deceiving to the eyes.

"I've waited long enough for this day." Dr. Drollwrech said as he opened the box and picked up the grey half dollar like piece of technology. As soon as it touched the doctor's hand, it came to life but seemed afraid of the doctor's touch at first.

"It's all right." The doctor said as he gently petted his work as if it were a whimpering puppy looking for his attention. Slowly but surely, the technology, as if it were a dog getting used to a person's scent, it began to merge with Dr. Drollwrech's skin. Strangely, he was not afraid in the least bit. It seemed that this was what he had planned to do from the beginning.

The technology crawled up the doctor's arm and quickly spread through his whole body. Changing his white, frail skin grey and no longer human. His grey, nearly white hair became black circuitry, like something one would find in a desk top computer, and his veins no longer held blood but electric connections to his computer like brain.

Once this transformation was complete, he took a breath, found a mirror and looked into his red eyes and said, "This is it! My plan is ready to be executed. Now the day of mutants are numbered by the Phalanx!"


	3. How'd it go?

_**CHAPTER THREE**_

Tyron was walking to the kitchen to grab a snack when Paris approached him and the look on her face told him that something was not right.

"Paris?" Tyron asked, "What's wrong?"

"Prestigue is back." Paris replied using the leader's new code name. No one was quite sure where she got the name or even who gave it to her but they all knew that it referred to the massive amount of power and her leadership position.

"I'm assuming her mood is……" Tyron asked letting his sentence tail off for he knew that if anyone called Roxie by her codename, she was not in the best of moods.

"….Not good, I'm afraid."

"She tell you she was back?"

"No." Paris replied, "I sensed her arrival."

"She's not blocking you?" Tyron asked. He thought this was strange because typically, Roxie always had mental blocks up blocking everyone from Paris to the Phoenix for she hated it when people probed her mind for no good reason. Hence why she stayed out of everyone's heads unless need be.

"No, but her anger is so strong that I felt it when she entered the lower levels." Paris said, "Understand that she will have to be dealt with but in the proper way, Tyron." Paris said, hinting to a secret that Tyron had told no one.

"All right." Tyron said, "Thank you."

Paris began to walk away.

"Oh and Paris," Tyron said, "Next time you wanna know who I like, just ask me and stay out of my head."

Paris blushed for she was embraced that she had been caught. She apologized to Tyron and said, "You should tell her how you feel."

"She knows." Tyron said, "She is a telepath after all."

Paris smiled and said gently, "Just because she's a telepath doesn't mean anything when she doesn't look into the minds of those around her. Go find her okay?"

"All right. Thank you Paris." Tyron said and when he got to the lower levels, he felt the tension in the air. 'This can't be good.' Tyron Thought to himself as he found himself at the danger room, as the X-men once called it, and when he entered he found Rox practicing against real danger just as her father before her had done.

Tyron did his best to avoid getting hit by the floor knives and the pendolims for he did not have a healing factor like Roxie but thankfully when Rox saw Tyron, she switched the danger room to holograms of Sabertooth and Wolverine.

Tyron knew since neither one were alive, these holograms were as close to the real thing as Rox was going to get. Unless of course they came across a clone of either but that wouldn't happen. "How did it go with Luke?" Tyron finally managed to ask even though he all ready knew by Rox's attitude.

"How do you think it went?" Rox asked as she jumped on top of Sabertooth and stabbed him in the head with the set of bone claws that were in her right hand once he fell to the ground, she jumped from her worst enemy to her greatest ally and began to fight with everything she had. It seemed that Rox had programmed Wolverine to make every move the real one would have made in order to beat her. Tyron knew Rox wouldn't have had it any other way.

"That had huh?" Tyron finally asked and then a moment later asked, "You wanna talk about it?"

"What is there to talk about?" Rox asked, "Luke's as pigheaded as ever, what else is there to it?"

"Disable Wolverine mach one." Tyron said and the hologram of Wolverine and Sabertooth faded away.

"What the hell was that for?" Rox asked crossing her arms. Tyron knew he had angered her but he also knew that wouldn't hurt him. She had learned how to keep her anger in check to the point where she wouldn't lose control every time she was angered but there was still that chance, as there always had been with the Wolverine, of slipping into a beserker type rage.

"What happened with Luke?"

"Nothing." Rox said as she began to walk past Tyron and headed to the door but Tyron caught her arm gently.

"Tyron, if you know what's good for you let me go."

"Not until you tell me what happened!"

"Why do you care what the hell happened, Tyron?" Rox yelled not because she was angry with Tyron cause she wasn't but because she was pissed at the whole situation and at Luke. She knew her question seemed stupid for she was a telepath and knew that Tyron cared for her as Eric had before him but did she truly like him the same way as she had Eric or was she simply being drawn to him because she was lonely? She didn't know and knew there was no way to find out any time soon.

"Why do I care?" Tyron said repeating Rox's question, "Because I want what is best for you and what is best is not holding everything in all the time."

"Tyron, I can take care of myself."

"I know that but sometimes…." Tyron said, "…Sometimes you need others around you so that you don't feel lonely all the time or slip into something that you can't get out of."

He wasn't talking about Luke anymore and she knew it. He was talking about Eric. He was implying that he liked her and would be there for her where Eric could not. This whole conversation was making her head spin and her heart ache. She missed Eric so much. She had tried to stay in contact with him telepathically but lately, he's managed to hide from her somehow. She would try again later once her mind was clear and she could actually concentrate on what she wanted to do but for now she had to deal with how Luke had treated her and because she didn't want to hurt Tyron, she knew she would have to tell him.

"Tyron, what makes you think that something happened between me and Luke?"

"Because you don't come down here when you're happy, Rox. The only times you come down here, alone, are when your pissed or miss your father or both. Now what did Luke say to get you so upset?"

There was a silence for a moment as Roxie tried to fight back tears but decided to allow them to flow. Tyron took the woman he cared for so deeply into his arms and allowed her to cry. No words were said for nothing needed to be said. All she needed was someone to hold her until she could speak once more.

Finally she looked at Tyron's beautiful brown eyes and said, "Luke hates me."

"I'm sure he……"

"No Tyron. You didn't see his face. You didn't hear the anger in his voice when he yelled at me."

"He yelled at you?" Tyron asked. Sure, he had heard Luke yell at people before but never Rox. No one ever yelled at Rox just as no one had dared to yell at the Wolverine, unless of course your name was Roxie Oyama.

"He blames me for Orchard's death. I tried to tell him, convince him that he was wrong but he wouldn't listen. He never listened!"

"Why do you care so much, Rox?" Tyron asked simply.

"Because Luke was my brother."

"I thought you were an only child."

"I am. He was my brother but not by blood. Everything that we had gone through together had made us siblings as had Eric and I……" Roxie let her sentence trail off for she knew that Tyron knew what she was going to say but before anymore words could be said Paris telepathically contacted the two mutants.

Rox, Tyron. Paris said, Come to the living room immediately. 

What's going on? Rox asked as she and Tyron ran to the elevator.

Its best if you come look. Paris replied and with that, neither Rox nor Tyron knew what to expect. It could be anything from a fight among morlock and Pheolvrom to a fight between the team members or even something that has caught their attention on the television. The pair hoped that Paris had simply seen something on the television that needed the team's attention and wasn't sure how to explain it. Once they arrived at the living room, Rox and Tyron saw Di, Paris, Phoenix, Ty and a few others all ready gathered around the television.

"Paris," Roxie said taking charge of the situation, "What's going on?"

"There are three techno things in New York City."

"Techno things?" Tyron asked Paris "Is that the technical term for them?"

"No." Paris said, "But I don't know what else to call them. Watch."

Rox and Tyron turned their attention to the television where a reporter was speaking as the camera focused on the techno beings.

This is the scene on Wall Street today. These people are covered with wires and chips. It seems that these people have been taken over by the devices that we so dearly cherish and cannot live without. Is this to be everyone's fate?

The television was turned off and Phoenix said, "What the reported left out is that those beings are trying to merge with people and so far they're done so with five other people."

"How do you know this?" Tyron asked.

"I am telepathically in contact, secretly of course, with the people on Wall street. Several of their minds are locked to me."

"So they are mentally resistant." Ty concluded.

"It would seem so." Phoenix replied.

"Rox," Di asked, "What do we do?"

"Lock an' Load people." Roxie said walking out of the living room, "We've got work to do."


	4. Could you love another?

Ch.4 Could you ever love Another?

It carries out into the night like an endless strand of time heading into its future and to its end upon Eric. He feels the mental pulse, whispers of her voice, and then he opens the door and she is there, just as he remembered. Roxie.

"Eric," Roxie said calling out with her mind as she flew above New York State.

"I'm here," Eric said.

"Finally," Rox said as she brought them together on the astral plane. She appeared to him in her tight black leather pants and red tub top that revealed her wolverine tattoo. He was in all black from his boots to his trench coat. Which was what he had always worn really. "Finally," Eric asked?

"I mean I've been trying to find you for several days and failed. Why couldn't I find you? Why were you blocking me?" Rox asked as Eric took her hands into his and gently kissed them. He really didn't want to answer her question but he knew that if he didn't it would anger her and he would rather her happy. Not because he feared that Rox may lose control but because he didn't want to upset the woman that he…loved. He wanted her to be happy and he had a feeling that there might be someone else in her life now.

"I'm sorry, Rox," Eric said, "I didn't mean to worry you. I just…..I've got stuff going on that I really needed to be by myself to deal with. I even kicked Jason out of the apartment for a time."

"So it wasn't anything that I said or did the last time we talked?," Rox asked gently and softly.

"Of course not," Eric said taking Rox in his arms, "you could never say or do anything to make me not talk to you, _darlin."_

"Not even if I liked another guy?"  
"Do you?"

"I don't know. I was kind of hoping you could tell me. As stupid as that sounds."  
"No, your thinking it the wrong way. Your seeking permission to love…Tryon," Eric said and Rox looked at Eric for a moment wondering how the hell he had guessed that and then he answered her unasked question.

"I'm right aren't I? See, Rox, your mind is an open book to me here as mine is to you," _Or at least the parts I let you see._ Eric thought to himself. There were things he had done that no one, not even his brothers, knew about which he intened to keep in that manner.

"So, do you think I like him?" Rox asked. She knew that Tyron cared for her the same way that Eric did but that didn't mean that she had to like him like she still cared for Eric did it?

"I think you'll have to figure that on your own," Eric said gently, "But I know you would prefer my consent."

"Eric, I won't love anyone like I love you."

"I know and neither will I. We were each other's first loves. You never forget your first love. You never stop loving your first love, okay? No matter how many others you love. Rox, I want you to be happy and if Tyron makes you happy then be with him. Just don't forget me. Or perhaps it would be best if you─

"I will never forget you," Rox said suddenly cutting him off before the last word. "No matter what."

She leaned forward and kissed him and after a moment he returned it. They parted once more. "What are you doing," he asked feeling her mental strain.

"Landing a jet that a friend lent me."

"Where?"

"New York City. More specific Wall Street. There are some evil techno beings attacking people."

"Techno beings," Eric inquired with a smirk on his face, "Is that the technical term?"

Rox simply shook her head with a smile and said, "No. We don't know what they are called yet."

"You know Di is going to want to talk to them."

"I know." Rox said, "And it's not going to work I can tell you that much right now."  
Rox's attention was diverted once more and then she turned back to Eric and said, "I have to go, babe."

"All right."  
"I love you."  
"I _love_ you too Rox."

And she was gone once more and he was left with that inevitable hollow where his heart should be. Once he was called Immortal, part of the now legendary Pheolvrom Team, but now that cause seemed lost. Instead he returned to Eric, a person who has suffered through many hardships and a person perhaps may one day cause such suffering upon others. The future is a bleak one, though it shouldn't be. The two kings, Sinister and Trask have sense been defeated and the tyrant Apocalypse gone as well. But still Eric can not see a world turning to the better, no instead he sees the beginnings of endless anarchy. In part that's why he is where he is at this moment, the ruined city of Deltra.

He stands upon a cracked building over looking the rain drenched city and waits. Pelting drops hammer down upon his skin and billowing cloaks, his dark hair sticking down to his eyes. Near his finger tips, the drops of water crackle and pop away as his body steadies an electric current. Jason is approaching, fast…through wires and old telephone lines until a flash of light occurs and then he's he is on the tower as well.

"Well?" asks Eric eyes focused on the city.  
"I found a connection," says Jason coming to his side.  
"And that is?"  
"They were all previous guards at Alkon."  
Eric narrows his gaze, and repeats the name to himself, "Alkon…"  
"Yeah, changes things a bit doesn't it?"  
"I guess so, but still even if these murders are justified, who ever this is, is doing it in extreme forms. He's not just killing them outright. He's torturing them for days at a time in the best of ways." Jason nods his head in response and then pushes, "It's no worse then what they did to us."  
"Then it would be safe to assume this is the work of a mutant. Any idea on what it's mutation is?" he asks.  
"Can't say for sure," says Jason. "The guards are all men, wounds ranging from stabbing, burns, strangulation, surgical cuts, hard to tell what the mutant factor if any might be."  
"You're suggesting this could be done by a human?"  
"It's possible, but at this point, we won't know for certain until we catch him."  
"Catch him?" asks Eric a little surprised. "I thought we would just leave him to what ever he wishes. I have no compassion for those people, and nor should you."  
"I don't, trust me. It's out of sheer curiosity that I wish to pursue this unknown mutilator and perhaps he'll join up with us."  
After a long pause, "Sure…why not?" says Eric. "I take it then you have a means of finding our friend?"  
"Of course," says Jason nonchalantly. "I did a little computer work and there are only two other prior Alkon guards in the city. We either split up or go on the same hunt, but I would recommend splitting and then see who get's lucky."  
"I guess it could work. Am I to take it, Twitch will be tailing with me then?"  
"Wouldn't have it any other way," says Jason and he pulls out a hollow map from his cloak and hands it over to Eric. "Ok, on here are the directions to one Mark Collins. He lives on the west side of the city, close to the production mills. Lives alone from what I take. You steak out him and I'll take on the other."  
"You really do like this whole detective shit, don't you?" inquires Eric.  
"Jason gives a slight smirk, "It's something to do," and shocks away, back into the wires.

Eric gives a small sigh. Some how hunting underworld criminals seemed devote of any real purpose. Take down one and another comes right up to fill it's place. And further more it's not something that will lead to any fulfillment. Roxie….some how she enters his thoughts once more and he can't shake her away. Why? Why dose she haunt him? It just can't be, could never be. Why? Because his soul is unsettled, his thoughts of loss never ending. Something still scratches away in his soul eroding the being he has made for the eyes of others.

Jason. For twins how is it that he dose not seem to suffer from the very same torments that consume Eric? Dose his heart desire Roxie's? Does he carry with him a secret buried deep and dark?  
It doesn't matter. Time to track down a killer, a killer in which Eric can't help but sympathize with. He's doing the world a favor. And if torture is his function, why not? Certainly none of those guards were ever merciful.


	5. Twitch

Ch.5 Twitch

Tracking down Mark's run down apartment is easy enough, the map carried complete schematics. Waiting on a roof top across Eric waits and watches as Mark, the now unemployed guard tracks his way across the apartment. An over weight, sure to be alcoholic….and then it registers in his head. "Mark in the Dark.". And instantly Eric wishes now to kill the ex guard himself, the hell with stopping this so called other killer. His blood is boiling, current pulsing. Mark, the guard who preyed upon those in solitary confinement, killed many, by breaking their spines. Jason would also remember this monster, shame he's off else where.

Then it plays into mind. Alkon, the former mutant prison was located in Florida, why would so many guards be in run down New York? Certainly there would seem to be another mystery at play. But before Eric can work out the details, in flies Twitch, the mutant lemur. Twitch, the first documented mutant animal, with an intelligence to rival that of Eric's.

_Hello Eric,_ chides Twitch telepathically.  
"Where were you?"  
_Observing.  
_"You do that every day, what are you looking for?"  
_I don't know, the world is very new to my eyes still. Did you know there are pictures on buildings that move in pre set patterns?  
_"Yes, those are mostly ads for some product or the next. There timed and then they repeat."  
Twitch's eyes light up. His curiosity at how the world works an operates never ceases to amaze Eric.  
_Who are we watching?  
_"A possible target for our supposed killer."  
_A killer?  
_"Yes. What, Jason left that part out?"  
_He said we were just watching someone, didn't say who.  
_"Well now you know. In any case, it's quiet so far. In fact there's no certain probability that we'll even catch him. In fact if he doesn't show, I'm very much contemplating killing him myself."  
Twitch hovers in front of Eric surprised, _Kill?  
_"Yes. Kill as in dead."  
_Will he not die if you don't?  
_"All things die, all creatures. We all die alone…." Eric hadn't meant to add that last part and suddenly he found himself confused. Why had he said that, an echo perhaps? "Anyway it's not about killing him just for the simplistic hell of it," he said reclaiming his confidence. "It's about revenge," his voice became cold. "For everything. All the suffering he ever inflicted…" he said the words with a scared memory, still unwilling to heal.

_Killing someone just because of a bad past seems off Eric. If you give in these emotions, do you not in fact become the same evil you so wish to kill?_

"You're missing the point, he killed hundreds, possibly thousands, this man is a monster."  
_Be that as it may, if you freely kill that man, then you will loose that which makes you human.  
_"I'm not human," Eric said bluntly.  
_No, but you stem from the same origins and mutants have not existed long enough to attain their own denomination in forms of compassion or emotion. You kill him and the hollow will only grow and you won't be able to fill it._

_  
_Eric looked at the creature a little awe struck. Twitch, the mutant lemur who could stare and marvel at a holo ads, was giving Eric, the supposed to be higher intellect moral advice of how to be both human and mutant. How? How could he, this animal, possibly understand or even comprehend the complexions of human and mutant nature? Eric just stared at Twitch with an unwavering gaze. Twitch stared back his wild green eyes, never blinking, never moving. Finally, Eric looks away and simply says, "I've done worse."  
The god's honest truth.  
_I know…  
_Eric sighs, "You know better then to sift through m private thoughts."  
_I do it not to invade Eric, merely to understand. If you wish to know, all of what I just said to you was collections of morals you have sense left behind. There still in you, buried deep beneath the anger, hate, guilt and shame.  
_"I feel nothing anymore…"  
_Not even for her?"  
_"Just shut up," Eric cuts in and Twitch notices a few light poles dim and fade and a slight drop in the temperature. When nothing more is said and feeling uncomfortable, Twitch merely flies away.  
Eric pays the creature no attention, he simply watches Mark. The notion of killing still hangs in the air like a ghost hopelessly clinging to a life left behind.


	6. TechnoBioBizarrow

Ch. 5 Techno-Bio- Bizzarow

_Man's investments of cold metal and processing wires will lead to the evolution anti life.-K.T.K  
_  
The connection once more lost and now Roxie harbored thoughts so rising, she had almost forgotten all about the techno back to her senses she steered the ship down, slowing down it's thrusters, and then she saw them. They were different then what had been displayed upon the TV, they were….people?

"What the hell are they?" hollered up Tyron.

Roxie swung the jet back in for another pass. There were five, five distinct technological….what are they indeed wondered Roxie as she finally set upon a clearing to lower the jet.

"I don't know," she said, "but keep your eyes sharp, and aim to disable, we don't know if these things are…human."

Landing the craft elegantly, the team came out clad in the new forms. Symbols of the once legendary X logo on everyone's uniform. Roxie wore two, one in the middle of her belt and one across her left breast, across her heart. Observing the beings of technological capabilities they were, had to be cyborgs of some kind. News crews and pods swarmed the vicinity as well as a new type of law enforcement, armored suits, black face masks, laser guns furring. But to no impact there shots made as these beings seemed to just take in the blasts and kept moving on. There bodies were wrought with colors and displays of laser light as if coming from there very cores, blues and reds. The rest of there bodies looked like machine encrusted hardware, something quite reminiscent of the sentinels. Mechanized tentacles spawned fourth from various parts of their bodies and were desperately trying to snare an unsuspecting individual. Though perhaps the most terrifying feature of them were their faces, people. Heads almost completely sheathed in metal and they seemed absent. There eyes unblinking, mouths slightly hung open and from those eyes, tear streaks. Was this some how against there will? Or simply from not being able to blink had there eyes watered over.

And all Roxie could think to do, protect the remaining citizens and some how subdue these…trapped souls.

"Serve and protect," said Roxie.  
"Unite and conquer," said Di.  
"Lock and load," said Tyrone.  
"Keep them tired and light the fires," said Ty.  
"Paris, Phoenix," said Roxie, "aid the injured. Ok team, break!"  
Pheolvrom leaped into action and in single unison, so did the cyborgs. Roxie in the air, twisting her body acrobatically dodging crossfire, she launched a psychic wave at the borg closest to her. The wave crashed into the metal human, its mechanisms tensed on the shock, but its servers held. It lashed back with a series of frantic tentacles whipping into the air, Roxie merely shot out her boned claws and slashed through the live wires and then landed a side kick upon the mech as to knock it off balance and disable it, not to kill.  
Roxie landed on the ground and focused her power to implant the creature into the asphalt, immobilizing it.

Di channeled a ring of fire around one subject as to scare it down, but a face of flesh and a mind of inputted logic will not yield. The mech squatted down and with a mighty leap into the air kicked Di down to the ground sending her spinning. Di rolling, twisted up and before the mech could land another punch breathed fourth another spiral of flames and in a hurtle and in an instant of confusion its servers popped and locked. It fell to the ground twitching.

Tyrone sprinted into the crowds and activated his morphing ability. He ran through gaps in the crowds, his body becoming a vague distortion allowing light to bend around him. But his tactical stealth did not go unnoticed for one mech, a male by the looks of it was fallowing his every movement and as Tyrone went for his assault canon, the mech was off. A machines calculation met with that of a high powered body of a human infused with mechanics against a mutant with a heavy gun and poor camouflage seemed like unfair odds. After somersaulting through the air, the humanoid landed and began to charge. Tyrone raised his weapon, but the mech was too determined, to quick and knocked the bulk cannon easily aside before landing a direct punch to Tyrone's skull, slamming him into a concrete wall.

The officers in black readmitted there assault, this time in focused groups, each breaking off to deal with a different mech. Roxie made a small note of their actions, she hadn't decided what their intentions were yet and too busy to intercept their thoughts. Instead she was aiding Tyrone, telekinetically lifting what ever malleable objects there were and hurtling them at the mech. It dodged a few and caught some others, but when one of the black suited operatives managed to land a successful blast to the chest, the humanoid promptly fell and didn't get back up.

Ty was off on his own, a lone mech approached him crawling on the ground insect like and before it could calculate a formal attack, Ty felt its energy source. Raising his right hand he linked with the source and with a slight twitch of the eye, he surged it and the mech froze in place. The black officers swarmed the fallen. Trap wires laid down upon the immobilized machines and force fields emitted.

Phoenix awaited by the jet alone and expressionless, quizzical, watching. The rest of the team gathered as the black suited operatives swarmed the fallen mechs. One of the officers approached the team, gun lowered, a black sheath covering all but his eyes.

"Your them aren't you?" he asked, "The ones who took down the super mutant?"

Roxie stepped forward, "Yes and now if I might inquire as to whom you and your team are?"  
"Were part of the old regime, a special task force created by Bolivar Trask. We mutinied against the King and for that, we were disbanded and hunted down. The ones who made it are among the men here. We're trying to reinstate a calm pathway back to harmony and for both human and mutant kind."

"What are they?" asked Ty, looking upon the fallen mechs.

"At this point," said the officer , "We have no input. They came out of know where and just started…changing people. It started off with just one and then the rest fallowed. We intend to study them and then If possible revert them back and seek out the source. It's strange, it's almost as if it was some sort of super technological bio enhanced virus assimilating itself with living organisms, using them as hosts."

Tyrone cocked an eye brow, "A very detailed theory. How did you arrive at such notion?"

"I've noted the change reactions after a victim was ensnared. They seem to loose  
all will to the virus and look to infect or assimilate. We think they might be some sort of  
experimental mutant killing program, similar to the sentinels, but at this point it's all  
speculation and theory. However, whom ever is responsible for this has unearthed  
technology far superior then anything we have yet to witness. Nano technological  
contraptions." The officer loosed speech for a moment and then extending his hand out to  
Roxie he said, "My apologies, I'm Captain Dunn."

Roxie took his hand and shook it, "I'm Prestige, leader of Pheolvrom," she  
motioned behind her, "this is my team."

Dunn overlooked them all and lowered his facial mask. He paused for a second  
looking at Ty and then Prestige. "Pleasure to meet you Pheolvrom."

A fellow officer came up, "Captain, all anomalies secured, were ready to transport."

"Very good soldier, I'll be along in a few." The soldier turned and left, heading  
back to a black cargo ship, hovering off the street. About twice the size of a modern hover bus. Roxie thought about such technology being acquired for the team, to make a more efficient staging base.

"Well Pheolvrom," said Dunn with some enthusiasm, "We look forward to  
working with you in the future. This city and for that mater this world needs people like  
us. Tomorrow there is supposed to be a city council meeting. It might be best if you  
attend as best to establish yourselves and secure some power and influence."  
"We are not out to gain power," Prestige interjected, "Our sole desires are  
to better this world, harmony and prosperity."

"You are young still my fellow leader," said Dunn calmly. "In a times so  
unstable as these if power is not seized by the right people, then there will be others of darker intentions who are dying to obtain it."

"Then why would you simply not go for it yourself, you and your crew,"  
asked Tyrone?

"Oh we intend aid this city as best we can, and our presence at this  
meeting is crucial as well. But we do not wish to be the only fighters and defenders; we  
need all the support we can find. And certainly for the lot of you all, at such a young age  
who have already proven themselves to be legends, I simply ask that you partake in this  
revolution. History in the making." Dunn gave a lasting nod to the team. "Well I'm afraid  
I must depart, and if any threat should arise, you can can't on us and us hopefully you.  
Goodbye." And Cpatain Dunn left for the cargo ship.

"Interesting person," said Tyrone and Roxie thought she detected a twinge  
of jealousy.

"Indeed…" she pondered, "and hopefully a new ally. Let's move out team,  
were done here. Good work, all of you."

And with that, Pheolvrom departed.


	7. New World Nightmare

_**Ch.6 New World Nightmare  
**_  
Alckon was one of many mutant facilities instituted by the once two  
Kings. Prisons all over the globe where the worst of horrors were committed against  
mutant kind. Aside from mutant stations, normal prisons for the human populous were  
held in much better conditions and their prisoners so long as they remained cooperative  
and obedient were allowed to stay. However if one should become a disruption, and  
problematic, he or she was retired to a mutant facility, and received the same horrible  
conditions. There was one individual who suffered such a transition, much to his  
Liking.

Ghost Station Trask (G.S.T.) was a sky operated facilitation, a mutant domain, as  
of now still operating under the old laws. The hover prison loomed in the sky, always  
moving through a set plane of coordinates, moving in and out of clouded mist. A massive  
mobile unit, a full weapons operating system along with its own air defense fleet.

Its corridors are wet and always dripping, steam shafts always going off and a cascade of  
red system lights. Hell on Earth, or above it rather. It's feeding time for the inmates, a dish of raw meat and a half glass of blood died water. Jones an officer has finished all but one serving on his hall, and the last is indeed the worst, it's him, the monster, the mutant slayer, the Midnight Mutilator, it's him. Jones holds fast to his electric staff and pushes the cart down the hall until he comes upon the last cell; a blue force field is all that separates Jones and….him.

Jones eyes the dark cell, nothing. No movement, no him, but he's there…somewhere in the dark, waiting, watching. Jones keys in a security code and registers the food trays automatic barcode allowing it's particles to pass through unaffected, by the field's rays.  
"You're late," comes a sudden voice in the cell and Jones jumps back, his heart starting to beat.

"Come out where I can see you," says Jones fearfully clutching the electro staff.  
"Or what? You'll jolt me a few times? I prefer it Jay, pump the volts through my entire body if you wish. Just know that tonight when I get out, I'll be coming for you," says the voice playfully, it almost sounds natural save for that occasional high pitch vocal.

"Like hell," quivers out Jones. "This fortress is impenetrable, know force can breach us. Just take your meal and step into the light where I can see you."

There's no movement, Jones waits. He can hear an endless drip somewhere off in the distance, he can even hear the moans of mutants from cells down below. "Come out you bastard or I swear I'll shock you to death!" says Jones regaining his courage. There's some scuffling sounds in the cell and then a shadowed figure steps into the light and Jones wish he hadn't. The light reveals the scarred hands and arms, the burnt flesh, ragged clothing, and the head of messy singed hair.

"Peek-a-booooo," says the shadowed prisoner. He reaches up to his head, into the mangled and messy hair and with out a single hesitation, begins to tear out chunks of his weave. "Ahhh….better…so much better."

"Stop this now!" hollers Jones, but the prisoner continues, ripping hair follicles, until all but the inch thick stems remain. He brings the hair up to his face and rubs it against his forehead, removing the sweat and drops of blood. Then he moves out of the light, into the darkness. Jones screams again for the shadow to come back out and then as if he just materialized out of thin air, he stands with in inches of the force field, looking at Jones.  
"Enough of this shit," says Jones shoves the electric staff in through the field to jolt the prisoner with the scarred face, when something unexpected occurs. The staff goes in and strikes the prisoner square in the chest, the bolts go through and then, the prisoner grabs hold of the staff and yanks it forward brining in Jones inward into the force field upon which his skin starts to cook. He screams in pain and let's loose of the staff, but the shadow seizes hold of his neck and holds him under the field, even as his own hand catches fire. Jones struggles and kicks for a moment until his body goes limp and the shadow pulls him in entirely.

"Silly Jay," says the prisoner, "let's make a mess!"

Ten minutes later the field comes down and out walks the shadow, into the hallway leaving the corpse of Jones behind. Jones body lays mounted on the wall, clothing stripped with words in read going down his chest that read:

_**Goodbye my fellow inmates and beaters as well as my prey. I'm shoving off for the new world nightmare. If any of you even see my little message, and the ship has not exploded yet, I'd say you have about two minutes before it dose. Best of luck incinerating and feel free to commit suicide, yours bloodthirsty forever truly,**_

_**  
Slaughter**_

_**  
**_Two minutes later, Ghost explodes from the sky and crashes down into the ocean in a spectacle like none ever witnessed before. From it's fires, one lone light, perhaps to the untrained eye that would appear as a mere emblem of flame trails off into the sky. Slaughter is free.


	8. Go to be understood not to gain power

Chapter Eight

That evening after getting home from the days events, Roxie sat outside when Tyron came out and sat beside her.

"That was some battle." Tyron said and Roxie simply nodded her head in responce.

"You okay?" Tyron asked, "You seem distracted."

"Sorry." She said simply, "I was trying to contact Eric to tell him how the battle went but he is blocking me again." She knew that Eric was no longer part of the team and that it was no longer nessesary for her to keep Eric in the loop as far as the team and its missions were concerned but she still felt obligated to. She still had feelings for him, and always would, and she knew that he worried about her being in battle even if he did not say anything. He didn't have to say anything. He never had to say anything for her to know how he felt but lately it had been harder for her to "get ahold" of Eric. He was blocking her more and more since the last time they had seen each other face to face. She knew that he had his secrets just as she had her own but she didn't understand why he was blocking her all the time. Was he doing something that she would not aprove of? Maybe but she doubtesd she would ever know for sure.

"You still keep him in the loop?" Tyron asked. He didn't see why Roxie felt she had to keep him informed of the team's wearabouts. He personally felt that Eric had left the team when they needed him most and that put a sour spin on things for Tyron.

"Yes." She said simply and she would leave it at that. Honestly, it wasn't Tyron's place to know why she kept Eric in the loop when she could "get ahold" of him. If Luke didn't hate her so much then she would have done the same for him but Luke, she feared was a lost cause. He was too far gone for her to help him now. For anyone to help him really. The one person who could have ever brought Luke back from the abyss that he had chosen to befriend, was the very reason he had taken residence in the cold dark void that Roxie tried very hard to stay out of.

Roxie got up from the bench and walked inside, with Tyron right behind her, and a moment later a telepathic message was sent out to the members of Pheolvrom.

Team Meeting in the briefing room.

"Team meeting?" Tyron asked.

"You wanted to convince me that attending the council meeting was the right thing to do right?"

"Yes but I didn't...Did you...?" Tyron asked so confused that he didn't finish his sentence.

"No I did not read your mind and you didn't have say anything. It was clearly written on your face." Roxie said with a slight smile. She knew she would have to have a meeting with her team before making any desison of any sort. Big or small. She felt that it was her job as leader to discuss with her team every move they made. She knew that if she were to make a move without consulting them, and it went sour, the team would blame her and fall apart. She leared from experience that even consulting one person and not the whole team can get her into trouble. But sometimes, on very rare occasions, consulting the whole team is not the best thing to do.

As Tyron and Roxie entered the breifing room,. Ty, Paris, Phoniex and Di, all who had puzzled faces, some more than others, were taking their seats.

"Rox," Ty asked, "What's this about?"

"Today, we came up against a new enemy." Roxie began, "And while coming up against this enemy, we came across a friend. Captian Dunn told us of a council commitey meeting tomorrow afternoon. It is a meeting to find out who will take the place of the two Kings."

"I think we should attend this meeting." Tyron said when Roxie had paused for a moment.

"Why?" Paris asked.

"As Rox said, they will be deciding who will be taking the place of the two kings. Imagine what we could do if we gained some level of power."

"We are not a team of political power. Oyur only goal is to live peacefully among the humans." Roxie said, "And even that hadn't been our goal till recently. Before we were all living under ground. Hidden away from the universe and forgotten about by time."

"I know Rox but what good are we if no one will listen?"

"What do you mean if no one will listen?" Phoenix asked.

"For people to really listen to what an individual or a group of people have to say, that group has to have some sort of clout. They have to have some level of credibility. right now, we don't ahve that. If we really want people to listen, we have to get clout and the only way that will happen is if we go to this meeting. And if we don't go then we could end up like the X-men before us, unseen and ignored."

"So you wanna go to this meeting so that people understand us?" Ty asked.

"Yes." tyron said:Maybe you don't want power Rox but I know you of all people want to be understood."

"Well we've heard Tyron's opinion but what do the rest of you think?" Roxie asked her team but the room was silent for a moment til Di spoke.

"I agree with Tyron. We should go." She said, "Even if we don't want tro gain power in this world, we should at least go to observe those who do want power."

"Yes, she's right." Ty said, "If we see those in power we can observe them to see who will benefit us and who will ultimatly end up like Trask."

Everyone in the room seemed to agree except for Paris. Rox knew that is she called upon Paris the young woman would not speak her mind so she chose a differenet form of communication.

**_Paris, what do you think?_** For a momentthe telepath did not say anything but after a moment or two Paris spoke her mind.

**_ I don't think we should go. Perhaps its just my opinion but I've lieved isolated from humans my whole life. Would it be so bad to choice to continue that way now?_**

**_ Perhaps if we still lived beneith the surface, but things are changing. We do not want to be forgotten. _**

Paris nodded her head and added, You willdo what is best. Your father always did best by the team. So will you.

Roxie smiled at the complement. Paris had not been a memeber of the team while the Wolverine was leader but everyone knew of his leadership skills just as everyone knew of Roxie's skill as leader.

"So are we agreed then?" Roxie asked bringing everone's attention to her once more.

The team nodded.

"Okay then," She said, "Suit up."

As the team began to leave, Tyron went up to Rox and pecked her on the cheek. Ty and Di, who waited for Tyron at the door, saw the harmless peck and their eyes grew upon seeing this sign of affection.

"Are they?" Ty asked shocked. He knew Roxie still had feelings for his brother but if she still cared for Eric whi was she with Tyron? Was she even with Tyron? After all he'd pecked her on the cheek but she'd done nothing to show her affection for him.

"Not to my knowledge." Di replied. "I mean, Rox and I talk all the time. I think she owuld have told me if she had feelings for him."

Ever since Orchird's unfotuinite death, Rox had confided in Di. She'd lost her best friend and with Eric and Luke gone, she no longer had anyone to tell secrets to. Sure there was Ty but he was younger than Rox and There were secrets that a woman could not tell anyone of the opposite sex no matter the age.

"Well clearly he has feelings for her." Tyr said begin captian obvious. Di laughed and as she did Tyron came through the door. He glnaced at Di for a moment and then asked, "What's so funny?"

Di glanced at Ty and said, "A joke Ty just told me. I'll let him tell you. I'm gonna go change."

Ty shot Di an evil glance before she turned tail and rean. They didn't want Tyron to know that they knew about his feelings for Rox but di wasn't making it easy for him.

"You can tell me on the way to get ready." Tyron said as the two walked down the ahll leaving Rox alone in the breifing room.

* * *

Roxie walked from nthe breifing toom to her room more confused than ever before. Tyron had kissed her. HE had actually pecked her on the cheek. For the first time he had showed his affection for her with out hesitation. But how did she feel about him? Did she share the same feeling that Tyron had for her? She knew she still loved Eric but could he ever be what she wanted, what she needed him to be?

A woman like her needed a man that she could count on to always stand by her side. A man that would support her every decision as a leader. A man who would let her know when she was wrong. A man that would be albe to reach into the void of the abyss and pull her out with his love for her and caring heart.

Could Eric be that?

True he had supported any desision she had made and he had pulled her out of the void when it mattered the most. He was something that she could believe in. He was something that she had thought would always be there. he had left her to search for something. Something that he still kept secret. If a man didn't stand by his woman, what good was their relationship? She knew that Eric still cared for her even though part of him didn't want him to but was caring enough? Could she be happy with him simply caring for her and not doing anything with or for her? She wanted top believe so but she was slowly realizing that this could not be.

But could Tyron do what Eric and Luke had both done? Were his feelings strong enough that should she slip into the cold harsh feeling of the void, he would be able to pull her out?

She wasn't so sure.

She and Eric had a bond that couldn't be broke. From the moment he gell inlove with her, she felt his love constantly. It was a feeling that she could not explian but rather something that simply was. She and Luke had had a sibling bound but Rox had never had any blood siblings. The closest she had before she met Luke was X-23. She was the Wolveirne's clone but had acted more as his daughter than a simple clone. Roxie and Laura had even fought over Wolverine when Laura first came to live with the lone mutant and the X-men. But because she and Luke were like brother and sister, because they had that bond, he was able to pull her out of the dark abyss that ironically Luke had fallen into.

So could Tyron pull Roxie out of the void should she ever stumble? The answer was yes but only if his love for her was real and not just some spring gling that would fade away with the change in the wind. Right now, the way she felt, Tyron simply had a crush on his leader. If it was really going to work, something would have to happen to bring them closer together.


End file.
